To help close a $1.6 million hole in the 2010-11 school budget, Superintendent Michael DiFabio proposed eliminating all sports, mock trial, school plays, proms, senior trip, student councils, yearbook, student advisers, Oswego County Academic Youth League, Arts in Education and Students Against Driving Drunk.

“I can’t imagine having senior year without sports,” said Kate Sullivan, a Hannibal High School junior, who plays softball, volleyball and soccer.

While the budget wrangling continues, the teens are taking matters into their own hands. They are writing to legislators, meeting with Hannibal’s mayor, surveying community residents, cleaning up the town as a show of good faith and serving breakfast to teachers.

They’ve named the effort Save Our Schools, or SOS for short. At school, they wear white T-shirts with SOS in purple on the front, with “Warriors take chances like everyone else. We fear failing, but refuse to let fear control us” inscribed on the back.

“This is totally a kid-led effort,” said Brian Schmitt, Hannibal High principal. “They are trying to give back to the community — their hearts and minds are in the right place.”

DiFabio and the board have made no decisions on a final budget and what it will include. The board is scheduled to adopt a final budget April 6.

The board has told DiFabio to find ways to plug the $1.6 million hole in the budget. He’s considering a wide array of choices — among them student activities.

The superintendent has proposed cutting all modified, junior varsity and varsity sports and a host of extracurricular activities to save $302,863.

DiFabio also would consider eliminating 14.5 teaching positions, some upper-level and college courses for high school students, library special time for elementary pupils and a computer exploratory program at the elementary.

“I appreciate what you are doing, it is positive and respectful,” DiFabio told about 425 high school students during a talk about the proposed budget Wednesday morning. “I don’t want to cut sports, but give me ideas of other things to do.”

“It’s very upsetting what they want to do,” said junior Zach Welling, who joined with Sullivan to form the SOS group.

“They want to put us out on the streets,” said Welling, who plays basketball and football at Hannibal High. “We have nothing left to do. I think you will see pregnancies go up, groups of kids will be hanging around and gangs will get started. Others just won’t come to school at all.”

Junior Alec Nelson plays football, basketball and baseball at Hannibal. He already has received letters from three Division III colleges interested in his football skills.

“If I can’t play next year, it will really change everything,” Nelson said. “You hope to get more looks from colleges, but that can’t happen if you’re not playing. We have nothing to do here except sports.”

Last weekend, the teens surveyed residents at some area businesses such as the IGA and Kim’s Diner. They wanted to know if residents would be willing to pay higher taxes to preserve activities and sports.

Welling said of 300 people surveyed, 250 said they would, 50 would not. He added the majority of those 250 said they would tolerate up to a 5 percent tax increase.

Hannibal Mayor Fred Kent met with the SOS members Monday.

“They want to get public support to go along with a budget that includes activities,” he said. “They want to do a cleanup in the village to show that instead of just asking for something, they are willing to give back — show that actions mean more than words.”

The village cleanup is scheduled for March 28.

“I was a school board member for 10 years (1983-93) and I know how tough it is,” Kent said. “The taxpayers can’t take any more. The district is in a tough situation.”

The Hannibal Sports Boosters helped five years ago when modified and JV sports were cut from the budget. But raising more than $262,000 for all sports in one year would be a daunting task, the boosters say.

“Our problem is we get 81 percent of our budget from state aid,” said Kate Sullivan’s mother, Cindy, who is an officer of the Hannibal Sports Boosters. “We’re the seventh poorest district in the state. When they cut aid like this, they hit schools like ours.”

SOS is flooding state Sen. Darrel Aubertine and Assemblyman Will Barclay with letters asking for their help in restoring state aid. Aubertine spokesman Drew Mangione said the Senate has offered a bill that would alleviate some mandates on districts, but he doesn’t know whether the bill will pass or survive the Assembly.

Some senators would like to change the education aid formula, which currently favors Long Island districts and under serves Upstate, Mangione said. Even if successful, he said he’s not sure such a measure would help districts this year.